Trainee air traffic controllers reach key career milestone

Australian skies have welcomed the latest group of trainee air traffic controllers to reach a crucial career milestone with the national air navigation services provider.

Airservices this week marked the achievement of 28 trainee controllers in obtaining their first licence endorsement from its Learning Academy in Melbourne.

It brings the number of new controllers who have entered the workforce this financial year to 71.

Licence endorsements are regulatory authorisations which permit controllers to work in particular air traffic control roles under Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Regulations.

Airservices Executive General Manager Air Traffic Control Jason Harfield said the 28 men and women would play a crucial role in managing the safe and efficient flow of aircraft into, out of, and across Australian airspace.

“This latest group of controllers to graduate from our academy will play a key role in the rapid growth of air traffic predicted to occur in Australian skies to 2020 and beyond,” Mr Harfield said.

“It also represents a significant milestone as we prepare for the retirement of a significant number of our workforce over the next five to ten years.”

The trainee controllers have obtained their endorsements over the past 10 months.

They will now continue to develop their careers with Airservices national workforce of around 950 controllers stationed at air traffic control towers, en route centres and terminal control units around the country.

The Airservices Learning Academy in Melbourne includes state-of-the-art equipment including a 360 degree full immersion tower simulator and world-leading technology.

Airservices controls 11 per cent of the world’s total airspace and manages air traffic operations for around 75 million passengers on more than three million flights each year.